Structural element



March 10, 1942. -u

STRUCTURAL IELEMENT Filed May 26, 1939 I N VEN TOR ALVA M.HULL

ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 10, 1942 STRUCTURAL ELEMENT Alva M. Hull, Detroit, Mich., assignor of onefifth to Francis D. Hardesty, Detroit, Mich.

Application May 26, 1939, Serial No. 275,941

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to structural elements and particularly to all metal elements into which nails may be driven for the purpose of attaching wood or other nail penetrable members or for the purpose of attaching two of the metal elements together.

Among the objects of the invention is an all metal element of the kind indicated which is simple in Construction, easy to fabricate, and easy and practicable to use.

Another object is an all metal element which readily permits the entrance of nails but from which the nails may be drawn only with great difficulty, if at all.

Another object is an all metal element in which there are no spaces which form closed chambers when the element is put into use. i

Another object is an element of the kind indicated of which the major portion is a rolled shaped plate, hot or cold rolled.

Still other objects will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

Fgure 1 is' a perspective view of a portion of a preferred form of element.

Figure 2 is a cross section thereof.

Figure 3 is a similar View of a portion of a slightly diiferent form.

Figure 4 is a cross section of the form of element shown in Figure 3. i

Figure 5 is a perspective View of a portion of a building frame work illustrating one method of using the elements.

As indicated, a preferred form of embodimett of the present invention consists of an element of I-beam section having as a web portion o preierably a roll formed strip. This may be hot or cold rolled and is formed preferably with a relatively heavy central portion illa flanked by low ribs lub and having marginal portions lac which may be of somewhat lighter gauge. As shown clearly at the bottom of Figure 2, the edgeward faces !Od of ribs lob are curved on a short radius for a purpose to be described later.

Upon a web o such as described, the flanged upper and lower portions of the member are made by welding on angle irons ll these being formed with depressed portions lla at short intervals and the welding being done between the web edge Inc and the displaced surfaces of the depressions.

By applying the angle irons ll in this manner. they are for the most part spaced a short distance from the web to provide a nail receiving slot !2.

As indicated, angle irons H and the margins loc of the web are so proportioned and arranged that the vertical portion of the angle iron ll stops a short distance from the curved face lnd of a rib lub and the horizontal upper face of the angle iron is flush with the edge of the web o.

In the form of element shown in Figures 1 and 2, four of the angle irons l I are used to form the flanges or chord portions of the I-beam, but in Figures 3 and 4 a somewhat modified form using only two angle irons is shown.

In this latter form, the web 20 is shown as a rolled strip having flanking ribs 20b on one face with the marginal portion Zflc of the strip displaced somewhat from the plane of the opposite face of the web. The margnal portion 200 is also sufiiciently wide to permit its being turned back as at 3! to form one half of the fiange, the other half being formed by welding on an angle iron 2| of the same form as that already described.

This form of the element is provided with only two spaces I 2 while the form of Figure 2 -has four of such spaces.

As indicated in Figures 1, 3, and 5 either form of the element may have punched out openings !5 or IS of suitable size and shape in order to decrease the weight.

In Figure 5 there is shown a portion of a building framework illustrating how the element may be used and also illustrating the use of ordinary nails in securing the parts.

For example, the upright member A, which may be of either form shown but which is ,indicated as following the Construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, supports a horizontally placed element B of the form of Figures 3 and 4, being Secured thereto by nail C.

In the upper channel of element B is a wood block D, fixed .by nails C upon which rests a second horizontally arranged element E fixed to the block by nails driven through its flanges.

Upon the element E is shown a channel F and, upright in the channel, another element H, the channel F being fixed to element E and to element H by nails as indicated.

As indicated, with the light gauge fiange portions and the spaces I 2, nails may be driven through the fianges and may be received in the spaces |2 either endwise or laterally of the element. a

When nails of suitable length are driven into the spaces I 2 laterally of the element, the curved web plate, whereby the greater portion of said angle-iron is uniformly spaced from the face of the web plate, and said web plate having longitudinal ribs adjacent and spaced from the inner edges of said angle irons and arranged opposite the space between the latter and the web plate.

2. A bullding-framing element of metal of I- section, said section showing a web plate extending to the surface of the chord portion and showing the latter to be produced by welding an angle-iron to a face of the web plate with the major portion of the angle-iron spaced from the said face, said section also showing said plate as provided with a rib beyond but adjacent the inner edge of the angle iron and having a concave face opposed to the space between the angle iron and the face of the web.

3. A .building-framing element of metal of I- section, said section showing a web plate extending to the surface of the chord portion and showing the latter to be produced by welding an angle-iron to each face of the web plate with the major portion of the angle-irons spaced from the said faces, said section also' showing said plate as provided with ribs beyond but adjacent the inner edges of the angle irons and having concave faces opposed to the spaces between the angle-irons and the adjacent faces of the web.

4. A building element of metal -of I-section, said section showing a web plate having a relatively thick mid-portion and relatively thin marginal portions and being ribbed at the junction between said portions and having a chord-portion produced .by welding' angle-irons to the faces of said marginal portions, said welding being at spaced intervals and means being provided for spacing said angle-irons from the said faces between the welds.

ALVA M. HULL. 

